The Reckoning

Chapter One

Don't believe what you see, it's just the dark playing tricks with you.

The small light bulb was flickering. At any moment, it would give out and Tess would be left in complete darkness once again.

"This is all your fault you know!"

"No, it isn't," she wined to the empty basement. "How could this be my fault?"

"Had you not decided to go off and bug him, maybe he would have let you out tonight."

Tess thought for a moment, as if she was trying to come up with a response that was suitable for the comment. "Shit!" She screamed, suddenly realizing she was talking to herself again.

She carefully, pulled her bruised knees up to her chest and slid backwards into the corner. Wincing as the chain around her stomach scrapped against her raw skin. "Skyler?" she whispered.

The last time the light had stopped, Skyler had come down cursing, he had then taken her upstairs where she spent the rest of the night in a small bathroom. "Skyler?" Tess called a little louder, "Skyler, please, please don't leave me like this." She begged.

A tear fell down her cheek.

The light gave out.

Tess screamed.

xXx

"What do you want?!" Skyler snapped into the phone.

"Don't talk to me like that, Johnson," another male voice growled from the other side of the phone. "I'm the only reason your whore hasn't died."

Skyler rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've been bringing that up for five years. You need something better to throw at me," he smirked.

"How about this... get out of the house. Dave tattled."

Skyler gapped, "That wuss got the guts to go to the feds?" he turned around and started for the door, "What about the girl?"

"Leave her." His snapped, "We'll always be able to get her back. And I know how much you would love to break her again."